A Brave New World
by Animangod
Summary: War and post-war fic. Warnings: Violence, PTSD (for now)
1. Chapter 1

Church bells rang out in the middle of the nights, as the war sirens went off, and unconvinced civilians stared up looking for the threat. Most ran for cover, dodging into buildings and hid, hoping the war machines would pass without destruction to their homes and livelihoods. Meanwhile, at a local bar, locals gambled away with games of cards and enough alcohol to keep spirits loose, and wallets looser. There were few other patrons there, but most were taking shelter in a more secure facility.

"Um… are these alright?" Sakura asked, setting down a handful of cards.

"Again?!" Rose a complaint from one of the gamblers, having just lost, something that happened whenever Fai had her play in his place while he went to go do something. Not that he actually taught her the rules of the game. But she did have an lucky streak going on.

Fai laughed with amusement, as he brought back some food for them. "ahhah… well it looks like we won that round, didn't we? Now we'll have enough to buy food for the month and get you a nice coat of your own," Fai added affectionately. He knew even if they were sore over losing, that hearing it was for taking care of her would deter any hostility.

"Really?" Sakura asked, looking over at Fai, with spark in her eyes. It'd been some time since he'd bought her a 'brand new' present. Normally, they were already pre-used or foraged from the remnants.

"Would I lie to you?" Fai asked with a charming smile.

"Yes," came a voice from the corner, causing multiple heads to turn that way.

Sitting at the end of the bar was a large man, most of him covered by a black worn out cloak. He had a few emptied drinks in front of him and another in his hand. It seemed he'd been paying attention to the game of cards but this was the first time he called attention to himself besides for a new drink from the bartender. However what was plainly visible was his military boots, resting easily on the floor, hinting at how tall his legs were.

Fai smiled, as he gathered up their winnings for today, before having Sakura go to a different table to eat at, bringing the food there, before going over to the soldier sitting by himself.

"I didn't catch your name," Fai said cheerfully, leaning against the counter next to the dark dressed man. "Mine is Fai."

"Didn't offer it," was the response as the soldier sipped at his alcohol

"If I don't get one, then I'll just have to make up a name for you. Mm, like … Black Doggie."

"...It's Kurogane," Kurogane growled lowly. He could feel a nerve twitch at that, and finished off the glass, covering the top with his palm, a sign he was done, "how much for tonight?" he asked turning his attention to the bartender. Getting a quote, he paid the bill in cash, telling him to keep the change, before standing up.

"So Kuro-dog tags, you come here often?" Fai asked, trying to make casual conversation with him.

He could feel that nerve getting just as enflamed. However he told himself he couldn't care all that much since he was leaving and didn't plan on seeing them again."Not really," he shrugged walking over to where the young girl was eating. She looked up when the soldier approached, "Yes?" she asked softly.

Kurogane was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "Your guardian underestimates you; anyway, take care of yourself," he said before walking off, exiting the bar.

Once he left, Fai overhead some of the other men talk disapprovingly of the other for being a soldier, accusing him of their own prejudice of those in his personal occupation. Fai frowned temporarily hearing the chatter from some of the drinkers, and went over to sit with Sakura pushing that plaster smile back into place.

"Didn't you hear what that man said his name was? That one's no ordinary soldier," one of the men defended the soldier, one who'd been playing cards against the blond and the brunette. "I hear he defeated an entire army single handedly, and now he's just single handed."

Fai listened in, and thought about that as he ate with Sakura. He wondered if that was true, and if so, how the man would have lost his hand, thinking maybe the gambler would keep on talking.

"If he's so powerful, then how'd he lose his hand?" one sneered.

"You remember the raid on the orphanage four months ago?"

"Who doesn't.. the place was blown to parts, and the debris ransacked."

"Yeah well, Kurogane's the one that helped get every last one of those children out of the place before the bomb went off."

There was hushed voices after that from the other patrons about the soldier.

Sakura had overheard the conversation as well, and she softly spoke up to Fai. "Do you think that man is telling the truth?"

"Mm… well I don't see any reason for him to be making stuff up… But it does make you wonder if it is the same person. Kurogane, huh? Doesn't that make you want to go look around and see what he's up to these days?"

"If he helped the orphans, then maybe the other children will know how to find him. I can go ask around..."

"It's too dangerous to be out on your own…"

Sakura pouted a bit before she muttered, "he was right too."

Fai looked at her confused, not sure who she meant and also having missed what Kurogane had told her.

Sakura waited until Fai had fallen asleep, before tiptoeing carefully through the house. Grabbing her new coat, she bundled up and grabbed a small wad of money, splitting it up and stashing it in different pockets of her coat. Unhitching the door as noiselessly as possible, she slipped out into the night air, and was gentle to keep the door from making noise when she closed it, so Fai would continue to sleep. She then made a run for it, before he discovered her missing.

She made her way into town, taking the back streets, because they were more likely to have other children running around at night.

The sky was dark with clouds blotting out the starlight and the city lights dimmed. Sakura crossed through several blocks of the city, not finding a single person out among the streets so far. She was beginning to become worried she wouldn't find anyone, when a voice rang out in the dark.

"What are you doing out so late, kid?"


	2. Chapter 2

"What are you doing out so late, kid?"

Sakura stopped in her tracks, glancing about to find the source of the the voice, before she saw him. At more than twice her height, the man she assumed from the sound of his voice and size, was like a giant, taller and larger than her foster father, and most of him covered by a cloak, making it was hard to make out most of his details.

"I'm… I'm looking for my friends," Sakura blurted out.

"It couldn't wait till daytime?" the man asked.

Sakura shook her head, "If I don't find them tonight, I'm not sure if I'll be able to find them...they were still living at the orphanage, and I haven't seen any of my friends since the place was destroyed."

The man stepped closer, and she thought maybe it was the man from the bar. Her thoughts were confirmed when the man pushed away the hood from his cloak, and asked, "is that guardian of yours here?"

Sakura believed it better to be honest, especially with this man, so she shook her head, "I don't think he even knows I'm out."

"Hmn, snuck out didja?" Kurogane mused, although there wasn't any harsh judgement there, rather almost seeming amused. "If you'd like to see the orphans, be sure to keep up."

Kurogane began to walk off, so Sakura tailed after him. Since Kurogane had much larger legs, she lightly jogged to keep up with his walking pace. They passed through several blocks, with almost no foot traffic… almost everyone would have been in, hiding inside the buildings. But Kurogane didn't seem to be heading towards any of the surrounding buildings, eventually pausing at the entrance to an old and previously abandoned subway entrance. The boarded up wood had been removed from the entrance, and the building that originally led the way down had already been decimated, leaving broken building plaster and other debris scattered on the surface. Kurogane looked back to see if Sakura had been able to keep up and if anyone else was following them, and made a quiet little 'heh'. As though saying, 'Knew you could do it.'

Looking down, the subway tunnel didn't look lighted, and while she could see good enough in the dim lighting, unless there was lighting further inside, Sakura knew she wouldn't even be able to see her own hand in front of her face once they got past the entrance. So she reached out and grabbed a handful of the dark cloak so she could continue to know just where Kurogane was so she didn't get lost.

The original steps were gone and had been meticulously replaced with small rubble pieces and grass seed, to help with the effects of erosion. Kurogane could feel the small tug on his cloak, and descended the stairs slowly, with Sakura keeping close. It didn't take long for the light to disappear and the tunnel to become even darker than above ground.

"You can see down here?" Sakura asked with a soft voice.

"Ah," Kurogane grunted affirmatively.

"You must have really good night vision then, like a kitty," Sakura said cheerfully.

"I do not have cat eyes. Their eyes work differently than mine," Kurogane grumbled.

"Oh…"

It was mostly quiet, with the only sound being the echo of their footsteps and a faint buzz and dripping off into the distance.

"Does the power here not work?" Sakura eventually asked.

"It works. But there'd been no point having it on in here."

"Because you can see in the dark anyway?"

"Ah," Kurogane grunted affirmatively. "Been able to since I was a little older than you… it only got better a few years ago."

"Really?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Ah."

Sakura guessed that this Kurogane man was typically sparse with details, unless there seemed a good reason to share them. It reminded her of her brother somewhat.

"Um… I heard you were in the military."

"Ah. I was."

"Did they let you go?"

"... not exactly. But after what they did, they had a choice. This is the one they went with."

Several minutes passed before Sakura was glancing from side to side. "Is it normally this quiet?"

"At this hour… yes. Most of them'll be sleeping."

They walked for nearly another mile before Kurogane spoke out rather than Sakura, "wait."

Hearing those words and feeling the cloak go slack, Sakura paused a pace behind Kurogane, looking up even though she still couldn't really see anything. "What is it?"

"Ssh…"

Sakura did as she was requested, and it didn't take much time before Kurogane let out a mild curse, "Shit, she's getting worse."

"Who?" she asked softly, now worried some herself.

"Open up your hands and arms."

Sakura was a little confused at that, but trusted him enough not to hurt her or leave her behind so she did as he said, and let go of his cloak. Turning around some, Kurogane lowered a paper bag into her arms and made sure she had it before fully letting go. "keep a hang onto that."

He then lifted her up into his good arm,getting a tiny squeak from Sakura, "be quicker like this. The youngin is gonna need the medicine in there as soon as we get there."

If he hadn't had a sick kid needing help now, going at a walking pace the rest of the way would have been just fine, so once Sakura was safely in his arm and the bag in hers, he began bolting through the tunnelway towards where he had called base camp for the past few months.

Sakura held the bag close to her, determined not to drop it, as she could feel air rushing over her coat and a sense of warmth coming from the man holding her. She felt them turn a corner, a short drop down and some rough patches, and if she had to guess, she would say they were switching what side of the tunnel they were traversing, and now in the valley where the subway train would have traveled as Kurogane trekked through there for a short distance before slowing down and jumping back onto a platform. Arriving on the platform, Sakura noticed there was light filtering in this part of the tunnel, and that they were heading towards where it was brighter. Now that there was light, Sakura blinked a bit to focus her vision and look around a little at her surroundings.

The walls were the color of plaster paint and as they were going by, she noticed an old fuse box open and emptied, laying on the floor. She barely had time to notice the newer one that was put in its place on the wall. There was a lever on it in an upwards position and she briefly wondered if that was for the electricity in this area of the tunnel. It was two more stations later that Sakura saw the first sign of another person down there.

There was a small service counter where security guards would sit and passengers would go through electric operated gates, one at a time by using a punch card of sorts. After the subway was abandoned years ago, it needed some servicing and remodeling to be operational for its new tenants. One of them was dressed up in security personnel garb that had been abandoned with the subway, slightly tailored to fit the smaller size of the teenager, and standing just outside the secure space to personally greet Kurogane and Sakura.

"Hana!" Sakura gasped excitedly at recognizing the face.

It didn't take long for Kurogane to set Sakura down and her to walk up to her friend. "How have you been?"

"Kurogane has been taking good care of us. Although from your rush, I guess he already knows."

Sakura turned to look back at where Kurogane was but saw he wasn't there anymore and looked about when she realized he was already on the other side of the gates, "the bag, if you would."

Sakura headed over and gave it back to Kurogane. There was a gruff, "thanks" directed at Sakura before he tipped his attention towards Hana. "Go have yourself a break." With the bag secure in his grasp, he continued on his way running through an opened door to more hallway, leaving Sakura with Hana.

Hana cheered before reaching out for Sakura's hands, "Do you want to come join me in the Detain Room?

"Eh?" Sakura said surprised by the sudden offer and at the name of the room.

"It's been changed up so now it's a kitchen for those on the Guard post for the night," Hana explained. "Come on, I'll show you," Hana said, leading Sakura to a room close by. They had so much catching up to do - it had been four months since they'd seen another, after all.


End file.
